GREYS – Ultra Sorta EP (Concession Records): Toronto’s GREYS offer a noisy 15 minute snippet of mathy punk and hardcore on Ultra Sorta, bringing to mind bands like THE BRONX, DRIVE LIKE JEHU, or a louder take on early FUGAZI. Yeah, I can get into that. There’s a lot to digest from the band’s busy style, but the dual guitar interplay is their best strength, especially on the second track “Rennie”. None of the many moving parts to Ultra Sorta slow the band, nor do the songs feel bogged down under the weight of its aspirations. Well-timed gang vocals and a rolling breakdown make an appearance too. GREYS are spry, and each of the five songs brings its own unique twist. Very impressive debut.

PROTAGONIST – States EP (Paper + Plastick): If there’s been a consistent comment against PROTAGONIST since their inception, it’s been the band’s strong similarities to STRIKE ANYWHERE. States doesn’t entirely mitigate the familiarity, but the band’s melodic quotient has grown and their brand of speedy pop-punk is much closer to early OVER IT, RUFIO or NO TRIGGER. Forbidden-beat drumming pulses throughout the 14 minute EP and the linear palm-muted guitars bring back thoughts of mid 90s Epi/Fat success (“Sirens” is pretty awesome in both of those characteristics). States is just kind of pleasant, and a positive direction change for the band, but I don’t feel any kind bigger emotional response than that.

NINJA GUN – Roman Nose EP (Sabot): Georgia’s NINJA GUN have followed-up their excellent punk-influenced alt-country full-length Restless Rubes with a left turn down the mellow, meandering indie rock turnpike. The shift is as dramatic as changing your homepage from Punknews to Pitchfork. And it’s not a bad shift, and probably one that will serve as a boost to their potential longevity given the additional flexibility that comes from putting distance between punk rock structures (oh the irony). I’ve never done well describing music of this style, so I’ll rely on shorthand band comparisons like I usually do. High-toned opener “That’s Not What I Heard” reminded me of THE DECEMBERISTS, the following track, “Hot Rain” has the feel of a less screechy WEEZER ballad. “Lepers In Love” has slow-burning WILCO twang to it – not my favorite of the tracks, but the beat is inescapably memorable, while the self-titled closer is a haunting five minutes of folk rock that could work with the gentler sounds of Anti’s DR. DOG. As Roman Nose is a transition release before their next full-length, the fact that it sounds like a four song compilation from closely related bands, instead of a cohesive offering isn’t very surprising. So to summarize, more burning rain, less lonely lepers.